Free Fair Border Bride by Jen Black

Carnaby touched his elbow and midway along his lower arm.
    Cuddy shuddered.
    “Is this boy going to be a warrior or a weakling?” Carnaby grinned at his wife, and turned back to Cuddy. “Am I going to have to hand you over to Father John for the Church, boy?”
    “No, thir .” Cuddy’s eyes became huge with worry.
    “He is but a few days beyond his sixth year, husband. Time enough for him to become a warrior.”
    “Cuddy doesn’t like the sight of blood, sir.” Lance stuck up for his brother. “But he’s good with a sword for his age. Even Harry says so.”
    Alina stopped chewing and stared across the open space between the two tables. Lance didn’t realise what he’d said. There was a sudden lull in the conversation as everyone tried to remember who Harry might be, and she saw comprehension dawn in her brother’s eyes. In sudden frightened realisation of what he’d said, he swung round and met her wide frozen gaze.
    Carnaby frowned. “Oh, well if Harry says so, then Cuddy must be good indeed.” Enjoying his own sarcasm, he looked around the hall. “Who is this Harry?”
    The lump of half-chewed, tasteless meat stuck in Alina’s throat. She spat it quietly into her palm, and fed it to one of the dogs nosing beneath the tables. The boys must have visited Harry without her. How else could he know of their prowess with a sword?
    Lance squirmed on his bench. “Just a lad who lives in the village, Father. He’s older than us.”
    “Then we’ll take no notice of what he says, eh? You have a sword master and I pay him a good deal of money for his services.” The sword master opened his mouth, but Carnaby cut him off. “I’ll listen to what he tells me of young Cuddy’s progress in the morning.”
    “I’m sure you’ll hear a good report, sir.” Margery Carnaby smiled at her sons. “The boys work hard at their lessons. I hear them at practice every morning.”
    Alina knew that was a lie, for the simple reason that the stonemason’s work drowned out the sound of the boys’ sword play these days. She shot a glance at her mother, and sent up a prayer of thanks that her parents enjoyed a warm relationship. Would Mama’s defence sway Father?
    Carnaby grunted, speared a slice of mutton and ate it with relish.
    Lance stopped squirming and let out a soundless whistle of relief. The incident seemed to be over. Alina stared down at her platter and wondered where her appetite had gone.
    “Harry doesn’t live in the village, Lance. He sleepth in the stable with Dragon.” Cuddy’s piercing treble filled the small silence.
    Alina’s heart leapt against her breastbone. Oh, Cuddy. Her skin turned cold and her mind went blank. Disaster was upon them. Everyone looked at the boys and then, because Lance stared at her, at Alina. Always one to voice her thoughts, tonight she could not think of a single thing to say that might avert what was about to happen.
    “We have a stranger living in that wreck of a stable, Alina?” Father’s voice was quiet, but she was not fooled. His anger was merely contained. He looked from Cuddy and Lance to Alina.
    She smiled, but could not stop her mouth trembling. Blood prickled as it flowed into her face, and out of sight, beneath the table, she gripped the heavy cloth of her skirts and scrunched it into a ball. She looked at Lance and nodded towards the door, hoping desperately that he would have enough sense to slip out unnoticed and warn Harry he’d better leave at once if he hadn’t gone already.
    “Alina!”
    She jumped and met her father’s hot brown glare. “Yes, sir?” From the corner of her eye she saw Lance push up from his bench. Good, he was going to warn Harry.
    “Don’t play silly games with me, girl. Who lives in the stable with that old horse of yours?” He saw Lance stepping over the bench. “Sit down, and finish your dinner, boy.”
    Lance looked uncertainly at Alina.
    “Sit, boy!” Carnaby roared.
    Lance’s eyes flickered as if he considered mutiny.